The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-05-08


ago, all faith and hope; brave still at
a period of life when we should think
that even hope is silent and faith
alone remains.
AS the two distinguished men pro.
.ceeded up the magnificent thorough
fare they we're observed by every one,
and that is saying great deal, for
people in Washington are satiated
with greatness. | was interested in
them and the people they met and
spoke to, and followed slowly behind
until they reached Senator Came
ROM residence. They entered and |
woke from my reverie, for reverie il
had been. l had been thinking OF
the old mans past, and when he dis
appeared through the portals Of the
house | heayed an involuntary siph,
for doubtless | had looked for the
last time on a landmark of the past,
man among men-pne who has
memories OF nearly all that is great
est in American history. We think
of Lincoln as Of past generation,
yet Cameron was-a sturdy stripping
when Lincoln was born. He was a
passionate boy when the cannon
echoes came from Lundy's Lane and
New Orleans; o grave, sober states
man when he heard of Chapultepee
aud Melino del Reg 4; a stat
gray in years aud experience during
the stormy days of the civil war.
These events are in dream aud story.
The flags that waved in glory lie tat
tered and dusty in unfrequented
chambers, harvcsts and decades OF
harvests have bloomed and ripened
over the fields wherein they were
fought, we read of them as we do of
Yorktown ard Waterloo; soldiers,
armies, heroes have gone, the taps
have sounded over the unresponsive
ears of Washington and Hamilton,
Jackson and Harrison, Scott and
Taylor, Lee and Grant. and the vet
eran who knew or might have known
these heroes and heard from their
lips the narratives Of 100 years of
American effort and endeavor, still
lives, in the unfaded vigor of old age,
with pulse as clear aud quick as
when it beat to the cannon of Bla-
densburg over seventy years ago.
Surely he is one of the most blessed
of men, and not the least among
those blessings is to see his children
tread in his footsteps and follow him
ia the councils of the nation.
1t is not amiss thus to write OF
Simon Cameron in q sketch of his
son. Thinking of one, the thought
Of the other comes involuntarily to
your mind. You could not find two
men more alike in their tastes and
natures than this father aud son.
And in their home lite this is as con-
spicuous as in public. The home of
Don Cameron is almost as much his
fathers as his own. There is as
much in it to remind you of one as
OF the other, aud apartments are al
ways kept in readiness for the retired
statesman.
The residence of the Camerous is
a quaint old mansion on Lafayette
Square, just across the way from one
OF the handsomest Of the many well
kept parks OF Washington. The
situation is delightful one. Within
a stones throw is the White House
and the Treasury Department, while
between The two, further in the back
ground, the Washington monument
looms into view. Back Of this is the
Potomac, with its grand hills now
clothed in the greenest verdure. For
miles this stretches away from you,
aud on. clear day the spires OF
sleepy old Alexandria can be seen,
making in its entirety a picture that
that appeals strongly to ones love of
the beautiful. Grouped around the
old mansion are the re licences of
many distinguished men. Around
the corner lives Chief Justice Waite,
up the street are the old homes Of
James G. Blaine, Hamilton Fish aud
Gov. Swan, while across the park you
can see the houses Of George Ban
croft, w. w. Corcoran, John Hay
and the old home OF Oliver P. Nor
ton. The adjoining house is the old
Seward mansion, in the portico of
which Gen. Daniel II. Sickles shot
and killed Philip Barton Key, the
poet
The house itself is rather peculiar
looking structure and is certnnly
noticeable, for you would hardly fud
another like it in this or any other
country. Its style of architecture
would ( be difficult to determine; |
think Ayselfit has none. Original
Iy one bf those big, ugly sturdy man
sions built in the early days of the
Republic, it has within the last few
years lost its personality, it the word
nav be used in speaking of house